Electric-railway system



Dec- 22J A R. H. MCLAIN ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM ,Filed Nov. '21, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l i Hig/z .Soeed Inventor: Robert H. McLain,

" HS Attorney.

Load/hg Zone Dec. 22 l925- R. H. MCLAIN ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM l Filed Nov. 21, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Uncoup//ng Z027@ Ing/@Dior Rober. H. Mc Lain,

,Jil/HZ His Attorney).

Patented Dec. 22, 1925.

" UNITED STATES 1,566,895 PATENT OFFICE.

y Ronninr n. McLain, or NEW YORR, N. Y., A ssrGNoR 'ro GENRRAL ELECTRIC com- Y rANY, a CORPORATION or NRW YORK.

ELECTRlC-RAILWAY SYSTEM Application led November 21, 1924, Serial No. 751,228.

To all whomt may concern.'

Be it known that I, Renner H. MOLAIN, a citizen of theI United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York, l State of vNew Yorln'have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Electric- Railway Systems, of which the following isV a specification.

This invention relates to electric railway 11.0 systems, VVparticularly alternating current 20 patched' from a plurality of loading tracks to a main trackas well as disassembled and distributed therefrom to aplurality ofreceiving tracks in an eicient, safe and reliable manner.

Although of general application, the ,present invention is of particular utility where it isdesired to transport freight o r the like between stations having a plurality of loading and receiving tracks interconnected by 30 fa minimum number of main tracks which are normally energized from an alternating .current source ,of relatively high frequency. When ,embodied in such a system, my invention enables a maximum number of trains to .35 .be ,accelerated and fed from the loading tracksy .to `the main tracks as well as de- .celerated .and distributed therefrom to the receiving tracks.

The invention may be carried into effect 40 in a preferred form. .by dividing .web -Of .the severa-l loading trac-ks into corresponding zones, `a Ln ornially deenergized dispatching Vzone ,being located .adjacent the junction -of each loading 'track with tlie normally energized main track, and a normally deenergized waiting zone being `located between Ythe dispatching zone and the loading zone which is normally energized at a rela` tively low frequency. In accordance with .50` the invention, the dispatching ,zones of the loading tracks are arranged to be separately energized from aV source of variable fre- Vquency so .as to accelerate and feed coupled e .trains of cars therefrom to the .main track and the waitiiigzone `of each of the loading tracks is sectionalized and means are provided for successively energizing the sections of each waiting zone in order to couple the individual cars passing from the loading zone to the waiting zone into trains and move the coupled trains of cars to the dispatching zone.

Eachof the cars is equipped with one or more alternating current driving motors and are provided with suitable current collecting devices as well as a controller for the driving motor arranged to permit manual control ofthe movement of the cars in the loading zone by an operator walking or standing beside the track.

After passing over the main track at higl speed, the trains of cars may be switched to one of several receiving tracks each of which is energized at a lower frequency than the main track and is provided with a normally deenergized section adiacent Hm junction with the main track. In order to electrical- 1y `decelerate the trains of cars, the normally deenergized sections of the receiving tracks are arranged to be separately connected to a source of variable frequency and means are provided whereby the frequency and voltage if desirable at which thedriving motors of the cars are energized may be gradually decreased. The cars are then unooupled and individually distributed to the proper unloading station.

The various novel features and combina .tions which I believe to be characteristicof my invention are pointed out with particu- `larity in the appended .claims and for a bet-- ter understanding of the invention reference is 'had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1, diagraminatically illustrates the arrangement of the loading portion of the Vautomatic electric railway system einbodyingr my invention, Fig. 2, shows in diagrammatic form the 'operating mechanism with which each .of the cars is equipped.y

Fig. 3, is a more detailed view of a preferred form of electromagnetic brake for the cars, Fig. 4, diagrainmatically illustrates the arrangementV of the receiving portion of the automatic electric railway systems embodying my invention, and Fig. 5. is a detailed view partly in sect-ion o f a preferred form of coupling arrangement forthe cars.

VReferring to Fig. l, the loading portion of the automatic electric railway system comprises a plurality of loading tracks 10, 11,

12, 13 and 14 each of which joins witha main track 15 and is divided into a loading Zone, a Waiting Zone, and a dispatching' Zone as indicated in the drawinff. A plurality of alternating current motor driven. cars such as the cars C and C are arranged to operate upon the tracks and power is supplied to.

operate the cars by means of suitable conductors located adjacent the various tracks such for example as the third rail illustrated althoughother vforms of' power conductors may be employed lit desired. Furthermore it .will beunderstoodthatl altlio only-a single powerv conductor is shown inthe system illustrated and the tracks areveinployed as a return conductor, a ,number of power confductors may be located adjacent the tracks in case. multiphase alternating current operation of the cars is desired.

As shown morein detail, in Fig. 2 each ot vthe motorvr cars employed in the automatic railway system embodying the ,invention` is arranged to be driven by a pair of `alternating current electricmotors 16and 17; although itwill be understood'thatone ormoi'e motors maybe employed depending upon the Y size and weight of theindividual cars. `The .driving motors 16 and 17 are suitably-connected to be supplied-withV current through a y.circuit including one offy the current collecti `.ing shoes 18 or 19 located at opposite corners of thecar and the 'controller 2O :whiclizis manually operable to .connect the motors for operation in either direction. Thecontroller 2Ohas the operating handles. 21 and 22 at opposite ends thereof and is mounted upon thecar so .as to. beopeiable conveniently from either sidethereof. f

In order to insure 'tlie'automatic stopping of the ycars upon the de-energization of the v driving motor. an ,electromagnetic brake 23' is mounted upon the shaft ofy motor a similar electromagnetic brake 23. vis

mounted upon the lshaft ot' motor 17. Each of the brakes 23 andy 23 preferably is ol the type shown. more in vdetail in Fig.

30,974, filed May 16. 41925. Briefiv.'-the elec tromagnetic brake comprises a rotatable member 24 adapted to be mounted upon the motor. shaft and having a drum surface'with which the two .opposing braking members 25 and 26 are biased to Africtionally engage by suitable means such as the weight v27. An

electromagnet'28 is provided for operating the brak-ingmembers 25 and 26 out of engagement with the rotatable vmember, 24. In accordance with the usual practice, the operating electromagnet 28 is Aconnected to be energized simultaneously with the energiza-- tion of the-motor with whichtlie brake is associated Since the condpctors for supplying power to the motor driven railway 16 and 3 and Which is fully described'and yclaimedin my copending divisional application, Serial No.

drawing cars necessarily krare interrupted at track switches, Crossovers, andV other similar portions or' the track system, it is desirable to provide a retardiiig device to'- prevent the setting of the brakes during such momentary cle-energization ot' the driving motors as will occur upon the passage of the car over such portions of the track.

As more fully set Ylorth in my divisional application a dash pot 29 of the vacuum type is eperatively connected to tliemovable brake members 25 and'26to retard `the op Jratien thereofr to the brakingl position. As

shown in Fig..3, the vacuum dash -pot comprises a cylinder SOand a piston 31 arranged tol reciprocatetherein.` A check valve 31 controls the admission and exhaust of air tromgthezcylinder 30 uponniovement'of piston 31 and. is arranged to lpermit a rapid ex- V tarding torce throughout the entire stroke of piston 31 and thus is capable of maintainving the braking members 25 and 2 6 disen- '.gagedl for tlietiin'e interval required for a car. .to pass over breaks of substantial length vinthe conductors adjacent the tracks.

-Referring again to Fig. 1, the main track l normallyenergized from anv alternat- ,ing current source otsubstaiitially constant frequency, not shownbut which may vbe fanordinary ,comme 1cial 60 cycle source, and j Athe driving motors 16 and 17 are designed ,to ioperate the cars 4and C', at. relatively highspeed thereupon.

In order'rto Vpermit slower movement of theca'rs in the'loadiiig' zones of the several 'powerY conductors adjacent to these zones are arrangedl to be energized from a supply line 32 having` a much'lower frequency than thatl ot the main ti'ackfThe supply line 32,V may.'- ilor example, be `energized from a 10 cycle source as'indicated in the and the several disconnecting yswitches-,81, 36 and 37 may be provided ioiseparately deeiiergizing the corresponding'loading Zones of tracks 10, 1,1, 12, 1?) and 11 during inspection and repair thereof.

It will be observed that the waiting zone et feeding' track 14. is shown as sectionalized with short lengths ofthe power conductor 'for the cars located on opposite sides of the y trackin such space relation that the cars,

Gand G. may be supplied with power from the successive' sections alternately through the current collecting shoes 18 and 19'with which eaclrmotor driven car is equipped.

Suitable switch mechanism such asthe drum controller 38 jillustrated,is provided -for successivelyconnectingfthe sections of the waiting'zoneftoasource of low frequency which may be lthe supply Vline 32 as lshown -in the drawing.

lhile not shown in `detail in the `drawing, it will be understood that the corre- 'and suitable switch mechanism such asthe selective switch 4Q, lis arranged `to separately connect the 'generator 41 to any one of "the severa-l dispatching `zones. The idirect current -motor 40, as shown is of the Vshunt ft-yne and Ais supplied with :power from a suitable source not shown in the drawing. The speed of motor 40 is 'varied 'to correspondingly vary the frequency of the alternating current `generator 41 by means `of jlthe field regulating resistor 43 and the switch 44 controlling `the same and the excitation of generator `41 is varied by means of asimilar ield regulating resistor and Vcontrolling switch 46.

Viith the Irailroadcars 'Gand C and the loading portion of the railway system em- Y llbodyling my invention, constructed and arranged as previously described, the opera.- ltion offthe 4system is as follows:

Y'Vhen the disconnecting switches '33, 34, 35,!361a1nd 37 are 'closed `the loading zones of the respective .loading tracks 10, 1.1, 12,

Y 13 and 14 are energized 'from a source of relatively :low frequency and the `movement of the cars `along the loading platform may "bexcontrolled readily by an operator standinghorwalking vbeside :the car. After the carsare loaded, the drum controller .20 with which Vth'evcar .is provided is .moved `to the `position required to connect the motor for foperation of the car from the loading zone ...to the waiting zone and the car proceeds on .its -way unattended.

In' .this way, a car such as the Ycar `C Ywill Y reach the normally'deenergized waiting zone of loading track 14, and the driving motors et' the car will be deenergized and the car stopped after a vpre-determined time interval bythe electromagnetic friction brakes `with which itis equipped. The car C may `now `be moved into coupling engagement with the car C by operating the drum controller 38 to successively energize `the secftions of the waiting zone .ot loadi..g track 114.` Upon the energization of the lfirst section, the `electromagnetic brake is released and the driving motors are energized 'to move the car C towards a preceding car Cat-a relatively slow speed. VViththe cars `equipped with `an automatic coupling arrangement `as showin .in Fig. 5, it will be obvious that by proper operation of the drum-controller38, the carC may be `moved into coupling engagement with `the fcar C without releasing lthe `brakes or energizing Athe driving motors `of the latter car and that ithe nent car entering upon `the waiting .zone of loading track 14 may be coupled tothe car C 1n asimilar manner.

lVhena suitable number of carshave been coupled into a train, the entiretrain `maybe Imoved `from the waiting `zone into the dis` patching `zone by operating the drum `conftro'llerBS-'to its extreme position.

It will be understoodthat the cars may be made up into trains in the waiting zones of loading tracks A10, 1.1, 12 and 13 in a similar manner `to that previously described Aand moved therefrom to the dispatching zoneiof .the corresponding ftrack. The trains of cars are then separately fed from the dispatching zone to the main track in the following manner. The motor generator set 39 is brought to its lowest operating speed by operating the switch 44 to the position shown in the drawing. Selective switch 42 is then operated to connect the alternating current generator 41 to 1'the desired waiting zone which may be assumed to be' the waiting zone of loading track 114. This releases the electroniagnetic fbrake of each car in the train and energizesthe driving motors there- Vofiatrelatively low lfrequency. As the train starts, the switch 44 is operated to insert successive portionsof theregulating resistor 43 in "the field circuit of direct current motor 40 and `thereby increase the speed of motor generator set 39 and the frequency ot1 jalternating `current generator 41.

At the same time, the switch 45 is operated to increase the voltage of alternating current generator `41 Vin order to increase the torque of the alternating current. motors driving the train of cars. `In this manner the train of cars in the dispatching zone of loading track 14 is smoothly and Vefficiently accelerated. By proper operation `of the switches 44 and 45 the train of cars may be in the previously mentioned Jackson patent application. `llt will be obvious that the trains of cars in the dispatching zones of the other loading tracks are accelerated and fed to the main track by proper operation of thel selectivel switch 42 and the controlling switches 14 and 46 in the mannerpreviously described.

Referring now to the receiving portion of the automatic railway system illustrated in lFig. 4, it will be seen that the main track 15 joins with a plurality of receiving tracks l50, 51, 52, 53, 54, and 55 each of which may be provided with an electromagnetically actuated track switch of the type shown in connectionwith the receiving tracks 50 and I55. This form of electromagnetic track switch is operated to the closed position in which it is shown by an electromagnet 56 and is operated to the open position by a second elect-romagnet 57, each of which are under the control of a selector switch 58. The several electromagnetic track switches may be interlocked in the usual manner. to insure the proper sequenceV of operation theieof and a track interlock switch 59 may be provided for preventing operation of thev track switch while thetrain of cars is passingthereover if desired. However, the particular form of track switch and the interlocking arrangement thereforform no part of my present invention and hence need not be further described herein.

It will be observed that each of the receiving tracks 51, 52, 53, 54 andghasa normally deenergized decelerating zone adjacent to the junction with themain trackand also is provide-d with an uncouplingV zone which may be located adjacent to the decelerating zones as shown in the drawing or inother A suitable portions ofthe receiving track. The decelerating zones of each of the receiving tracks are arranged to be energized from a source of variable frequency suchas the motor generator set 60 which may be similar in` all respects to the motor generator set previously described in' connection with the loading portion of the automatic railway system. Likewise the selective switch 6l, the speed controlling switch 62 and the voltage controlling switch .63 forthe motor gen eratorset may be similar to those previously described. i

rI he uncoupling zone of each of the feeding tracks comprises two adjoining track sections as illustrated in. the drawing, the first of which normally is energized at a lower frequency than the remainder ofthe normally energized receiving track and the i .second of`which is energized at a higher frequency than the remainder of the receivcoupling zone.

uncoupling cam 66 which is arranged to mechanically cooperate with` they automatic couplers of thecars as shown more in detail in Fig. 5. The cam 66 is located between the tracks in the uncoupling zone and is so formed as to engage with and lifta roller 77 which is carried by a reciprocating plung er 78 on the forward end of each of the cars. A s the plunger 78 is raised, the spring 79 is compressed thereby exerting a lifting forcel von the coupler arm 8O through the uncouyzone of receiving track 55, the selective switch 61 is operated to connect the generator of the motor generator set 60 to the decelerating zone and the speed controlling switch 62 and the voltage controlling switch 63 are operated simultaneously to decrease both the frequency and voltage applied to the driving motors of the cars composing the train. lith the train iunning at high speed, the decrease in frequency and voltage produces van electrical :braking effect in the driving motors which quickly reduces the speed thereof in an etticient and reliable manner and without apply-- ing the electromagnetic friction brakes.

`Vith the speed. of the train reduced to a suitable value, the cars enter upon the unl When the foremost carruns upon the section energized at the lower frequencythe speed thereof is reduced and the vcouplings between this car and the next succeeding car is slackeiied. At the same time the uncoupling roller of the second car engages with the track cam 66 as illustrated- -in Fig. 5, and due to the slack in the coupling, the coupling arm is readily released. As the cars are uncoupled, the driving mo tors of the foremost car are energized on the succeeding track sect-ion at a higher frequency and consequentially this car is vaccelerated and moved away from the succeeding car. It will be understood that as each pair of succeeding cars enter upon the uncoupling zone, the automatic uncoupling thereof is effected in a similar manner to that just described and the individual cars vthen pass along the receiving track at relatively slow speed until they reach the proper unloading platform where they are stopped by an operatory standing` along side the track.

ln accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes I have described the principle of operation of my invention together with the apparatus which I now consider to rep- As soon as resent the best embodiment thereof, but l would have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. The combination of a normally energized alternating current electric railway system having a plurality of branch tracks joining a main track and a plurality of alternating current motor driven cars arranged to operate automatically thereon, each of said branch tracks having a normally deenergized section adjacent said main track for automatically stopping the cars thereupon, an alternating current source of variableI frequency, switch mechanism for separately connecting said source to each of said sections to operate the cars thereon, and means for controlling the frequency of said source to gradually accelerate said cars.

2. The combination of a normally ener gized alternating current electric railway system having a plurality of feeder tracks joining a main track and a plurality of alternating current motor driven cars arranged to operate automatically thereon, each of said feeder tracks having a normally Cle-energized section for automatically stopping the cars passing thereupon, an al ternating current source of variable voltage and frequency, switch mechanism for separately connecting said source to each of said sections and for increasing the frequency and voltage of said source to accelerate and feed the cars stopped thereupon to said main track.

3. The combination of a normally energized alternating current electric railway system having a main track joining a plurality of receiving track and a plurality of alternating current motor driven cars arranged to operate thereon, each of said receiving tracks having a normally de-energized section adjacent said main track, of an alternating current source of variable frequency, switch mechanism for separately connecting said source to each of said sections, and means for .decreasing the frequency of said source to electrically decelerate the cars passing from said main track to said sections.

4. The combination of a normally energized alternatingl current electric railway system having a plurality of branch tracks joining a main track and a plurality of alternating current motor driven cars arranged to operate automatically thereon, each of said branch tracks being energized at a lower frequency than said main track and having a normally de-energized section adjacent thereto, a variable speed motor generator set comprising a direct current motor and an alternating current generator, switch mechanism for selectively connecting said generator to each of said sections and for controlling the speed of said motor to vary the frequency of said generator and thereby correspondingly varying the operating speed of the cars passing upon said sections.

5. An automatic alternating current electric railway system comprising a plurality of feeder tracks joining a normally energized main track and a plurality of alternating current motor driven cars arranged to operate thereon, each of said feeder tracks having a normally de-energized dispatching zone adjacent said main track and a sectionalized Waiting zone disposed adjacent thereto, and means comprising switch mechanism for establishing separate power connections for the successive zones of each of said feeder tracks to feed the cars thereupon to said main tracks.

6. An automatic alternating current electric railway system comprising a plurality of feeder tracks joining a normally energized main track and a plurality of alternating current motor driven cars arranged to operate thereon, each of said feeder tracks having a normally cle-energized dispatch ing zone adjacent said main tracks and a sectionalized waiting zone disposed adjaent thereto, of switch mechanism for successively energizing the sections of said sectionalized waiting zone to move the cars therefrom to the corresponding dispatching zone, and means including a source of variable voltage and frequency for separately energizing said dispatching zones to move the cars therefrom to said main track.

7. An automatic alternating current electric railway system comprising a plurality of feeder tracks joining a normally energized main track and a plurality of alternating current motor driven cars arranged to operate thereon, each of said cars having a coupler at each end thereof and each of said feeder tracks having a normally de-energized dispatching zone adjacent said main track and a sectionalized waiting zone disposed adjacent thereto, switch mechanism for successively energizing the sections of said sectionalized zone to individually move the last car entering thereupon into coupling engagement with the preceding car, and means including a source of variable voltage and frequency for accelerating and feeding a coupled train of cars from each of said dispatching zones to said main track.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of November, 1924.

ROBERT H. MCLAIN.

loo 

